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U TE STATES PATENT GFFTCE.

JAMES E. MCCONNELL, OF NlOLVERTON, AND VILLIAM SEATON, OF REGENTS PARK, ENGLAND.

CONSTRUCTING PERMANENT WAYS OF RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,433, dated February 23, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES EDWARD Mo- CONNELL, of Tolvertom in the county of Buckingham, England, civil engineer, and VIL'LIAM SEATON, of Chester Place, Regents Park, in the county of Middlesex, England, gentleman, have invented certain Improvements inthe Form and Construction of the Permanent Vay of Railways, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle or character which distinguishes them from all other things before known and of the usual manner of making, modifying, and using the same.

These improvements refer to the construction of lines with continuous longitudinal sleepers or bearings. The rails themselves have a solid or fiat sided top or a top of such a section that the rail may be rolled on its top and bot-tom or on its foundation and wheel bearing surfaces. This rail has a rectangular bearing on the angular or double inclined surface of a continuous or longitudinal sleeper which is of a right angled triangular section with a flat base to rest on the ballast while its angular apex or ridge is upward and bears the base of t-he rail which is rolled with a corresponding double incline or angular recess to fit it. This right angled triangular longitudinal sleeper is formed out of a square sectioned length of timber by cutting it diagonally either in one or both directions so as to make two or four triangular sleepers out of one square sectioned baulk thereby effecting a great saving in material and labor. Cross ties of a similar section and of about one fourth the sectional area are placed under the sleepers with their apices downward and the whole are pinned or otherwise secured to gether in any convenient manner to maintain the proper gage of the road. A triangular metal joint piece is inserted into the apex of the sleeper under the joint of each rail thereby giving greater solidity and supportto the rail ends.

In cases where large square timber cannot be found we substitute rough semicircular timber formed by sawing the trunks or large straight branches of trees longitudinally down the center. The top or rounded surfaceis then cut flat or rounded oli' by means of an adZ or other convenientcutting tool so as to receive the base of the rail which may also of protecting or preserving the rail by throwing off the wet. A flat metal joint piece may be inserted in the sleeper under the joint of each rail to support the rail ends. And in order that our inventionmay be clearly understood we shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose we shall refer to the several figures on the sheets of drawings hereunto annexed.

Figure 1 on Sheet l of our drawings represents a transverse section of our right angled triangular longitudinal sleeper with its rail and joint piece attached.

A is the sleeper B the rail and C the triangular joint piece which passes under the end of each rail and is let into a recess formed to receive it on the apex or ridge of the sleeper as shown in Fig. 2 which represents a longitudinal section of a portion of the rail and sleeper at the joint. This sleeper is formed by cutting a square baulk diagonally from corner to corner the outline of the lower portion of the square baulk w w w being shown by the dotted lines a, a, in Fig. l.

D, D, are screw pins which are passed through holes in the flanges E, E, of the rail and are screwed into the body of the sleeper, the points of the pins converging so as to produce a firm and secure fastening.

Fig. 3 represents a baulk of square timber cut diagonally into four triangular sleepers A, A, A, A and the dot-ted lines a, a, a, a, represent the same sized square baulk used in the ordinary manner. On referring to this figure it will be observed that by cutting the square baulk into two sleepers as in Fig. l a larger bearing or base is given to the sleeper with a saving of .one half of the ltimber and that by cutting the baulk into four sleepers each sleeper will have the same amount of bearing or base as the original baulk thereby obtaining four sleepers in place of two with a saving of three fourths of the timber. Two of the sol smaller triangular sleepers A may be combined to form one large sleeper in which case the smooth inner sides may be turned outwardly and the rough sides which formed the sides of the original square baulk are placed inwardly the peculiar form of the rail bearing serving to grip the two halves together which are further secured and held together by the pins or screws which pass through the flanges of the rail and into the opposite halves of the sleepers.

Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of a portion of a permanent way laid down and constructed according to our invention with right angled triangular longitudinal sleepers and cross ties. Fig. 5 is a corresponding transverse section of the same and Fig. 6 is a plan of a portion of the road complete.

A are the sleepers B the rails and C the cross ties which are fixed at suitable intervals along the under side of the sleepers.

We are aware that railways constructed on a plan similar to ours have been suggested but never were carried out 'into practice on account of the shape of the rails, the rolling of which is'beyond the means of ordinary rolling-mills. Fig. l. Sh. 3, shows a rail constructed upon the suggested plan. Fig. 2, a rail of our own construction and effectually carried out into practice and Fig. 3, a pair of rollers exhibiting the manner of rolling said rails.

Fig. 1 on Sheet 2 of the drawings represents a transverse section of a longitudinal sleeper formed out of a rough uncut piece of timber by splitting it up the middle and laying the Hat side downward and the upper rounded side being dressed o either round as shown in the drawing or Hat. When. round the base of the rail, which in the drawing is of the bridge form, is slightly curved to correspond.

The dotted line a completes the outline of the tree or uncut baulk of timber as it exists before being sawed down the middle.

The rails shown in drawing No. 2 are of a peculiar construction; the wheelv bearing surface'on top and sides of the rail are similar to those of ordinary U or bridge rails, while the ilanges are bent down and rounded oi'l:1 so as to correspond with the sectional periphery of a round piece of timber. By this means the wet is thrown off more freely and the pins or rail fastenings by being inserted so as to converge slightly will be less liable to be accidentally loosened or withdrawn.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the rail and sleeper showing the flat metal oint plate A for supporting the rails at thejoints. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the roadway laid with the rough semicircular sleepers and cross ties. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same and Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of the roadway complete.

A are the sleepers B the rails C the cross lties which are of the same form and construction as the sleepers but are cut out of smaller timber.

The peculiar but simple construction of permanent way hereinbefore last described will be found highly advantageous in other parts of the country where machinery of any kind is diicult of transport.

We propose in all cases where possible to insert a layer of felt or other soft or yielding material between the rail and the sleeper for the purpose of imparting a certain degree of elasticity to the road and the same time deaden the unpleasant noise and vibration occasioned by the passage of the train over it, this is particularly applicable to the triangular sleeper.

Having now described the nature of our invention and the mode of carrying the same into effect we may here observe that what we consider to be novel and original and forming the main features of this invention is,

The system or mode of constructing the permanent way of railways herein described, consisting in the use of rightangled triangular longitudinal sleepers and crossties in combination with wrought iron rails when the latter are constructed on the plan herein specified and when all the parts constituting the railway are united together and arranged in relation to each other in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we the said J AMES ED- WARD MCCONNELL and WILLIAM SEAToN have hereunto set our hands and seals the siXth day of April one thousand eight hundred and fifty seven.

J. E. MCCONNELL. WILLIAM SEATON. Witnesses:

THOMAS I. BYRNE, DAVID HOWARD. 

